Such a conclusion was reached on 9 February 2011 by the participants of the Social Journalism Club, created by Rinat Akhmetov’s Foundation for Development of Ukraine. The participants of the master-class for mass media were Olga Bogomolets, Honoured Doctor of Ukraine, Professor, Director of the Institute of Dermatology and Cosmetology, and Igor Pokanevich, Head of WHO Country Office in Ukraine. The meeting was devoted to the problem of skin cancer. This topic had been selected for the master-class due to the high cancer incidence rate in Ukraine and scheduled to mark the World Cancer Day, 4 February, and the International Childhood Cancer Day, 15 February. The World Health Organization (WHO) and the International Union Against Cancer defined these days’ topic as teaching children and teenagers to avoid UV exposure.

The event’s discussion covered the major aspects of cancer diagnostics and treatment by the example of skin cancer and other skin diseases, the main criteria of forming a responsible attitude to one’s own health, mass media role in the interaction with doctors and community, mass media coverage, sources of information, evidence-based medicine.

“Melanoma mortality rate in Ukraine makes up 95 % while in the USA it’s 5%. This difference can’t be accounted for by our lack of doctors or technologies, or by lack of budget funds, but rather by the untimely reference to a doctor. In the USA it’s quite the opposite, people aren’t afraid, they know where and who they can turn to in case of need. Now alongside with the technological development in Ukraine, we’re applying the method of remote diagnostics. This method enabled us to increase our doctors’ patient capacity by 4 times – for example, within one day we made a check-up of 474 patients and detected 10% of cancer cases (9 melanomas, 21 skin cancers, 9 other cancer cases). To put it simply, you can take a photo of your freckle, send it to a mobile number or email and get online medical advice. The preliminary remote diagnosis should be followed by histological verification and final diagnosis. I think remote diagnostics still remains to be seen, and it can be a regular practice in 5 years”, says Olga Bogomolets, Honoured Doctor of Ukraine, Professor, Director of the Institute of Dermatology and Cosmetology.

“Nowadays 70% of cancer cases depend on certain people’s behaviours, their lifestyle, that is on whether they smoke, drink alcohol, on the extent of their UV exposure and type of diet. It is proved that every 5 kg of body weight increase the risk of cancer by 10 %. In the world, a lot of countries as well as the World Health Organization plan to hold a number of meetings with the purpose of developing a strategy to counteract the problem”, says Igor Pokanevich, Head of WHO Country Office in Ukraine.

Profile:
* Cancer Can Be Cured. Timely Cancer Diagnostics and Treatment is the first and unrivalled for Ukraine national project to support the state system of providing help to cancer patients. The project is the biggest investment of UAH 315m into the State Cancer Service of Ukraine. It is aimed at fostering efficient operation of the State Cancer Service of Ukraine and enhancing cancer diagnosis and treatment through introducing up-to-date equipment and  best practices of cancer treatment. The goal is to introduce the world’s standards in cancer diagnostics and treatment in Ukraine.
* Social Journalism Club is the initiative of Rinat Akhmetov's Foundation for Development of Ukraine. The Club was established in 2007 and brings together the journalists writing about important social issues.

The Foundation’s mission: work for people by eliminating the causes of burning social problems; implementing the best practices of Ukraine and other countries, developing unique system solutions; obtaining the optimal result with every project and action.

Areas of activity: Contemporary Education, Health of the Nation, Cultural Heritage, Targeted Assistance.
Rinat Akhmetov is the Founder of the Foundation for Development of Ukraine